Johnny Manziel was supposed to be the center of attention in College Station last Saturday - not for his play on the field, but as the celebrity guest picker on ESPN’s College GameDay ahead of Texas A&M’s high-stakes College Football Playoff matchup against Miami. But the former Heisman winner never showed, creating a stir that extended far beyond the Aggies’ eventual 10-3 loss.
Here’s how it all unfolded: less than 12 hours before GameDay went live, Manziel was spotted ringside in Miami at the Jake Paul-Anthony Joshua boxing match. By morning, he was a no-show in College Station.
That absence sparked a wave of speculation, particularly around his health, which Manziel later addressed in an Instagram post. He apologized for missing the appearance and pushed back against the rumors, denying that his night out had anything to do with his condition.
According to a report, Manziel had been hit with a sudden illness that prevented him from making the trip.
With Manziel out, ESPN called an audible and brought in a familiar face to Aggies fans - former Texas A&M basketball standout and current Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso. Caruso filled in on short notice and helped keep the energy high for the playoff atmosphere, despite the unexpected change.
But the story didn’t end there. On the latest episode of ESPN’s College GameDay Podcast, host Rece Davis delivered what sounded like a thinly veiled jab at Manziel - without ever mentioning his name. After co-host Dan Wetzel brought up the Paul-Joshua fight, Davis chimed in with a bit of dry humor:
“When you go to a fight like that, you’ve got to be very careful about where you eat breakfast the next morning,” Davis said. “Because it can leave you ill and give you difficulty in reaching the locales where you are scheduled to be. But I digress.”
He didn’t stop there.
“I just wondered, is that what the kids are calling it these days? A bad breakfast?
Anyway, wouldn’t cast aspersions anywhere. For those who follow closely, you’ll be able to read between the lines there.
You have to follow a little closely.”
It was a moment that felt tailor-made for longtime college football fans - a little wink, a little nudge, and a lot of subtext.
As for the game itself, Texas A&M’s season came to a quiet end in a 10-3 loss to Miami. What was supposed to be a celebratory return for one of the program’s most iconic players turned into a headline for all the wrong reasons. Manziel’s absence didn’t impact the scoreboard, but it certainly became part of the weekend’s narrative.
In the end, it was a reminder of just how much attention still follows Manziel - even a decade removed from his electric Heisman season. Whether he shows up or not, Johnny Football still finds a way to be part of the story.